Adele was global best-seller of 2012

ADELE's Grammy-winning record 21 has been named the best-selling album in the global charts for the second consecutive year.

Published 27th February 2013

The superstar sold 8.3 million copies of 21 across the world in 2012, outselling the nearest rival, Taylor Swift's Red, by approximately three million units.

One Direction had the third and fourth best-selling albums with their first two releases, Up All Night and Take Me Home, which sold a combined total of 8.9 million copies, while Lana Del Rey's debut Born To Die racked up 4.4 million sales.

Canadian pop newcomer Carly Rae Jepsen had the year's best-selling single with Call Me Maybe, which sold 12.5 million copies globally, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI).

IFPI bosses revealed the struggling music industry is showing signs of recovery as overall revenues went up 0.3 per cent - marking the first year of growth since 1999.